SoccerRed hot Gerba firing on all cylinders

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When Ali Gerba arrived at Toronto FC in the summer of 2009, he was all set to be the answer to the club's goal scoring woes. After all, Gerba has netted 15 goals in 29 games for the Canadian national team - a better strike rate than any other men's player in recent memory.

Gerba's Toronto FC career started with promise when he scored in his MLS debut, a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew. Unfortunately, things went downhill from then on.

Gerba failed to find the back of the net again, and endured a torrid time in Toronto. In April of this year, after making just 11 MLS appearances for the club, Gerba's contract was terminated and he was sent on his way. 

Gerba resurfaced in July, signing on the dotted line for the Montreal Impact. While this is Gerba's fourth stint with the Impact, fans in Montreal could be forgiven for thinking they'd signed a dud, based on his output of zero goals in his first six games.

But then Gerba caught fire.

A hat trick against Baltimore was followed by a pair of goals against Rochester. A 2-1 loss to Miami was sandwiched by a 2-1 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders and a 3-0 triumph over Tampa Bay - with Gerba grabbing two goals in each win.

Nine goals in five games? Where was that production when he was playing for Toronto FC?

That sort of turnaround begs the question - how can a player perform so poorly for one club and so well for another?

There are a multitude of reasons - excuses is a more blunt way of putting it - that can be put forward by a player to explain his lack of form. Poor service, lack of fitness, poor tactical approach or poor man-management are often given as to why a player fails to live up to expectations.

Then there are legitimate areas of concern - troubles at home, difficulty settling into a new environment and, in the case of foreign signings, adjusting to life in a new culture.

A player's responsibility 

Ultimately though, it is up to the player to sort through all of that and deliver what he is paid to deliver. You are a professional soccer player, and you are paid to do your job. If you are a striker, your primary job is to score goals. If you are a defender, your primary job is to stop the ball going into your net. 

There are expectations placed upon each and every player within the context of the team, and it is up to each player to prepare in a professional manner in order to deliver what is expected on a consistent basis, whether that is in training or a game. 

Many players fail to understand that, and they do not truly appreciate how lucky they are to be paid to play the game they love. They fail to realize that you cannot be a professional soccer player forever, and that there will come a day when you rue the missed opportunities from the earlier years of your career. 

They fail to realize that there are thousands of supporters who would give anything to be given the opportunity to wear their team's colours on the field of play. They fail to perform at a consistent level because they do not fully commit themselves to the wonderful opportunity of being a professional player.

In Ali Gerba's case, perhaps the penny has finally dropped. Perhaps he realizes that, when he turns 28 on Sept. 27, his time as a professional soccer player could come to an end in the not too distant future.

After a nomadic career that has taken him to no less than 11 different clubs, Gerba now appears to be living up to the expectations that many had for him last summer. 

The USL Player of the Month for August, Gerba should be a contender for September as well. Critics will argue that he is playing in a lower calibre league, and that he isn't capable of delivering the same level of production at the MLS level.

But 15 goals in 29 games for Canada is no mean feat, regardless of who the opposition is. Putting the ball in the back of the net is the toughest task in soccer, and it is something that Gerba has shown he is capable of doing.

Montreal Impact fans will be hoping that at the fourth time of asking, he will stick around long enough to prove his critics wrong.
 

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